Songwriters Justin Tranter and the late Allee Willis, country artist and podcast host Rissi Palmer and ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews will be honored at the 2023 SONA Warrior Awards, which will be held on Oct. 29 at 1 Hotel in West Hollywood, California. Songwriters Bonnie McKee and Shane Stevens are set to host the show.
McKee is known for her 2013 Billboard Hot 100 hit “American Girl,” as well as for co-writing hits by Katy Perry, Taio Cruz, Britney Spears, Kesha and others. Stevens has written for numerous country and pop acts, including Lady Antebellum, Selena Gomez, Carrie Underwood and Sara Evans.
Performers on the show are Brenda Russell (in honor of Willis), Miko Marks (in honor of Palmer) and Kitchen Swanky Band (representing Songwriters of North America’s – SONA’s – work in the Caribbean).
The SONA Warrior Awards celebrate the talent and hard work of individuals known for their accomplishments within the music industry, while also honoring their efforts advocating for songwriters’ rights.
SONA brings together music creatives and industry professionals to reimagine the music industry in the 21st century. The organization’s main issues are: a right to fair pay in the age of digital media, the ability to advocate for themselves, the right to safety and equity within their workplaces.
SONA has long tried to unionize and stand for the rights of music artists/songwriters in the same way that the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild fight for the rights of writers and actors, respectively. SONA’s contention is that, just like the talent in those fields, songwriters are often paid unfairly and left uncredited for their work. For more information on SONA, go here.
Here’s some background on this year’s honorees:
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Justin Tranter
Being honored for: “making revolutionary advancements in the music business.”
Bio: Tranter is known for their work in the LGBTQ+ community and for working with stars such as Julia Michaels, Selena Gomez, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and many more. They received a Grammy nomination for song of the year six years ago for co-writing Michaels’ hit “Issues” with Michaels, Benny Blanco and Stargate. From 2004 to 2014, Tranter was the lead singer of Semi Precious Weapons, a rock band based in New York. Since February 2017, they have been a board member of GLAAD.
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Allee Willis
Being honored for: “her legacy and impact made across genres.” Rosanna Arquette will present the award. Brenda Russell, one of her collaborators on The Color Purple, will perform in Willis’ honor.
Bio: Willis, who died in 2020, was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019. Her most famous works include The Rembrandt’s “I’ll Be There for You,” the beyond-catchy Friends theme (for which she received a Primetime Emmy nod); Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September” and “Boogie Wonderland” (with The Emotions); and the Pet Shop Boys’ “What Have I Done to Deserve This?” (with Dusty Springfield). Willis won a 1985 Grammy for best album of original score for the Billboard 200-topping Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, which contained “Neutron Dance,” a hit she co-wrote for The Pointer Sisters. Her work on The Color Purple (2006) brought her both a Grammy nod for best musical show album and a Tony nod for best original musical score. In addition to being a songwriter, Willis was a multi-media artist, collector, art director and lovable eccentric.
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Rissi Palmer
Being honored for: “her talent, resilience, and leadership.” Autumn Rowe, who won a Grammy last year as a producer, songwriter and featured artist on Jon Batiste’s We Are, will present the award. Miko Marks will perform in Palmer’s honor.
Bio: Palmer has landed three hits as an artist on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. When she first charted in 2007 with “Country Girl,” she became the first African-American woman to hit that chart since Dona Mason scored in 1987 with a collab with Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass. Palmer had a substantial country hit in 2008 with a cover of the Jordin Sparks/Chris Brown smash “No Air.” Palmer’s cover rode Hot Country Songs for 15 weeks, peaking at No. 47. Palmer is seen as paving the way for such Black women in country and country-adjacent genres as Mickey Guyton, Brittney Spencer, Allison Russell and Yola. Palmer is also the host of Apple Music’s podcast, Color Me Country Radio with Rissi Palmer.
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Elizabeth Matthews
Being honored for: “being a longstanding ally to songwriters.” Five-time Grammy-winning songwriters/producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis (who were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017) will present the award.
Bio: Matthews became CEO of ASCAP on Jan. 13, 2015. She had served as evp and general counsel at ASCAP since 2013. Prior to ASCAP, Matthews served as evp and deputy general counsel at Viacom Media Networks (formerly MTV Networks) since 1998. In that capacity, she guided her business and legal affairs teams through the early days of the shift to digital.
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